In 2012 Dr. Ronald Monica, long-serving part-time faculty member in the Department of Periodontics, began an effort to raise funds to support resident activities. As a result, the Periodontics Resident Research and Education Support Fund was established. Because of the tireless efforts of Dr. Monica and his committee members, over 40 contributors have donated to the campaign. Some contributions are used annually to support residents and others are being directed to an educational endowment to benefit the program in perpetuity.The Periodontics Resident Research and Education Support Fund will:

Supplement the annual gift from the Louisiana Society of Periodontics to support resident attendance at the AAP Annual Session

The LSUHSC School of Dentistry continues to raise funds for the renovation of the student preclinical laboratories on the 7th floor of the E.E. Jeansonne Clinic Building. The learning that takes place in the labs is foundational to clinical practice as students learn to perfect their hand skills under the watchful eyes of faculty prior to treating actual patients.

The labs had not been renovated since they were built in 1972. Most of the fixtures and equipment were beyond repair, and lacked computers, A/V equipment, monitors and digital equipment. Nearly $3.2 million has been contributed by alumni, friends, organizations and corporations, and an additional $4.2 million was approved during this legislative session as a capital outlay project.

Click HERE to view an update on the gift campaign. Included in the update is a list of corporations and individuals who have generously contributed to the effort thus far. There are many naming opportunities still available and it is our hope that more contributors will step forward in support of the project.

Of the remaining $1.96 million fundraising goal, approximately $500,000 will be placed in an expendable account and the remainder will be directed to the Student Preclinical Laboratories Endowed Fund. The endowment will remain untouched and the interest of approximately $55,000 annually will be used to repair and sustain state-of-the-art equipment in the lab.

The fundraising campaign continues and naming opportunities are still available in the lab. To donate or pledge a gift, click HERE.

Dr. Thomas J. Kiebach Scholarship in Pediatric Dentistry

In memory of Dr. Thomas J. Kiebach, an alumni committee chaired by Drs. Claudia Cavallino and Johnnie Hunt aims to raise private funds to establish the Dr. Thomas J. Kiebach Endowed Scholarship in Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Kiebach died unexpectedly on November 10, 2014, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the age of 67. For every $60,000 raised in private funds, the school is eligible to apply for a $40,000 match from the Louisiana Board of Regents (LBOR). The match program was approved by the LBOR in September 2014 and matching funds can be applied for as early as July 2015.

In honor of Billie G. Jeansonne, DDS, PhD, an alumni committee, chaired by Drs. Rodney Isolani, Mark Camp, Alan Simmons and Mark Odom, aims to raise private funds to establish the Dr. Billie G. Jeansonne Endowed Scholarship in Endodontics. The purpose is to establish a permanent fund to benefit current and future endodontic residents, while honoring Dr. Jeansonne’s nearly 40 years of dedication and commitment to dental education.

Dr. Jeansonne earned her doctor of dental surgery from Loyola University of the South School of Dentistry in 1968, a doctorate in physiology and biophysics from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1973, and her certificate in endodontics from the LSUHSC School of Dentistry in 1981.

A dedicated instructor and mentor, she began her career as a professor of biology and physiology at the Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans, and then as the course director of dental physiology for the same institution. She began teaching endodontics at the dental school in 1977, first as clinical assistant professor, then as clinical associate professor, and finally as professor and coordinator of the endodontics postgraduate program. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Dr. Jeansonne played a key role in helping continue the endodontic program after the dental school relocated to Baton Rouge. She subsequently served as interim department chair from 2007-2009. Dr. Jeansonne recently retired in 2014 after 26 years of service.

In memory of Howard Bruggers, DDS, MA, an alumni committee, chaired by Dr. Shade Quin, aims to raise private funds to establish the Howard Bruggers Scholarship in Dentistry. Sadly, Dr. Bruggers died in September 2016.

Dr. Bruggers, professor emeritus of the LSU School of Dentistry (LSUSD) Department of Prosthodontics, passed away on September 30 at the age of 88. A native of Holland, Michigan, and a Lafayette resident for the past three years, he came to LSUSD in 1969 when the school was still in development. He served as department head of fixed prosthodontics, director of continuing education, associate dean of admissions, and associate dean of curriculum and planning. Dr. Bruggers served on numerous committees during his tenure at LSUSD and authored numerous research publications. He retired from the dental school in 1993.

Donations to the endowed fund will remain untouched, while the annual interest will be used to benefit dental students in the form of scholarships and educational opportunities —including internships. externships, conference travel, and field work. An emphasis in the specialty of prosthodontics will be considered when selecting scholarship recipients. For every $60,000 raised in private funds, the LSU School of Dentistry is eligible to apply for a $40,000 match from the Louisiana Board of Regents.

Under the leadership of LSUSD Visiting Professor Ronald Auvenshine, DDS, PhD, a fundraising effort is underway to establish an endowment to support orofacial pain education, patient care and research at LSUSD. The vision is to create a world-renowned residency program in orofacial pain leading to a master of science degree.

The program will have a strong clinical component and residents will have the opportunity to learn from nationally-recognized orofacial pain experts about the diagnosis, evaluation and delivery of care to patients suffering from orofacial pain. In addition, LSUSD hopes to become a premier patient care provider for orofacial pain. The endowment may be used for a scholarship fund to support resident activities and/or a professorship to support faculty members and facility enhancements. Scholarships, through a competitive process, can receive a $40,000 match for every $60,000 raised; professorships are eligible to receive a $20,000 match for every $80,000 raised.

Parker E. Mahan, DDS, PhD., was one of the most influential academicians and clinicians in orofacial pain. A visiting faculty member of the LD Pankey Institute, he taught head and neck anatomy at the Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. After receiving his PhD in physiology, he taught at Emory University School of Dentistry from 1962 to 1971, leaving that position to become the founding chairman of the University of Florida Department of Basic Dental Sciences. In 1984 Dr. Mahan was named the director of the Dental Occlusion and Facial Pain Center at the University of Florida. He passed away in 2010.